Produced by Bronowski Productions Limited in association with Stirling Enterprise Limited.
Last night, Rishi, Pranoti, Ritwik & I went to watch the stage rendition of the Broadway and West End musical ‘My Fair Lady‘, playing in Asia for the first time, in Singapore; today’s the last day of their tour. This was my first experience at Esplanade’s theatre and it was marvelous, much grander than Raffles Hotel’s Jubilee Hall, NUS UCC and a few other venues I have been to.
I have a particular sort of fancy towards all stage performance and well-played out scenes in theatre hold a lot more appeal for me than similar excellence in films. I have never watched this musical on film so I went in with no preconceptions or expectations and I’m glad for it, for I was undistracted and focused, and not wont to compare it with previous renditions of the same.
The entire musical was a visual and aural delight. I shall not venture to do any character analysis nor any review of the story, for I am sure many of you are already familiar with the same; however, I want to highlight what I particularly liked about this production.
The opening was a noisy and energetic one, with swift exchanges of words in a sharp Cockney accent, which got increasingly difficult to decipher with the rapidness of speech. There was also extensive use of the overlapping sound montage to create the effect of real life, where people do not wait for each other to finish sentences before starting to speak.
I loved the use of colour throughout the production to create an impact on the audience’s perception. While the common folks of Covent Garden wore mostly neutrals and browns, the rich wore stark and vibrant colours, with heavy use of black and white in some scenes. The colours were often in direct contrast with the choreography of the actors. For instance, the dull colours of the common people did not deter them from moving with a gaiety and freedom unmatched by the rich. The choreography for the songs ‘With a Little Bit of Luck’ and ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’ had an energy and zest palpable even to those sitting in the nether regions of the theatre. Similarly, the Ascot scene, among my favourite scene in terms of visual appeal, had the rich folks in strict duo tones of black and white, creating a starkness which evoke expectations of swift movements; instead, the people moved in a carefully rehearsed and measured manner, with the right doses of pretentiousness and acceptability.
Most notable throughout the musical was the use of the colour white. At the beginning, when Eliza Dolittle still sported her Cockney accent and a manner deemed uncouth by Professor Henry Higgins, she wore neutrals like other common folks, but with the progression of her refinement under the tutelage of Colonel Pickering and Higgins, she started wearing more white. From the Ascot scene onwards, Eliza is seen wearing only all-white ensembles, creating an aura of purity and grace untouched by the vagaries of everyday life. I found it peculiar that Eliza wore a billowing dress, apparently designed by a French designer, for the Embassy ball, rather than a more figure-hugging and flattering one; she looked divine nonetheless. Reading the review of the production in Singapore makes the reason obvious; Deborah Myers, the actress playing Eliza, is pregnant and could not let the dress show the bulge.
The mise-en-scene of each scene was delightful and I loved how the backdrop was re-used for all the scenes with very few major changes. The scene changes were amusing, to say the least; the cast moved on and off the stage carrying/pushing a few pieces of props as if it were the most natural thing to do and in one scene in particular, the common folks tiptoe out of the scene depicting Higgin’s study – most hilarious. The pace of scene changes also indicated the mood of the play; a frantic energy in motion indicated happier times, while Eliza’s sense of tragedy was shown in the slowness with which the lamp posts descended onto the stage.
The lighting through the entire show was dynamic and fluid and one of the most interesting effects was during Higgins’ song ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face’ during which the cast shadows of the windows created a perception of Higgins being held behind bars, entraped by his feelings for Eliza.
My favourite character in the play was Professor Higgins; with his staunch and narrow belief that phonetics define a person’s standing in society, he was endlessly amusing. Those who know of my penchant for aspiring towards gramatical correctness now have a name to call me by. Colonel Pickering and Higgins made for a comic pair; there were outstandingly funny moments of mock conflict between the two of them. Kudos to Deborah Myer for her superb voice and amazing strength to perform so brilliantly through her pregnancy! The music was phenomenally good and I recognized some of the songs as those that were taught in music lessons in my convent schools. The conductor, with his shiny bald pate, was visible conducting the orchestra, just below the stage. And nothing beats the British sense of humour, delivered in the proper British accent.
At 2hours and 55mins and a 20min break, the musical was as long as a Bollywood production but it never wavered in its quality. Overall, My Fair Lady is a fantastic musical well rendered by the travelling group from London and they have given me reason to explore the thriving, albeit expensive, theatre scene in Singapore more.
———————
For the die-hard fans, here’s the script.
